wemple



HORSE HOOP EXPANDER.

.Witnesses 694 awww@ i V n M 'Vf 7%@ by .dttorney UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE W'. WEMPLE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOBRAINARD W. CHILD, OF SAME PLAGE.

HORSE-HOOF EXPANDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,825, datedSeptember 5, 1882.

Application filed March 29, 1882.

is a specification.

My invention relates to `a device to be attached to the bottom of ahorses foot for the purpose of moistening the frog of the foot andapplying pressure thereto, whereby the arches ot' the frog areflattened, causing a lateral pressure uponthe sides of the hoot' at ornear the heel; and it consists o'f a plate provided with an ear or lipon its forward end, to beinserted between the shoe and hoof, with a pairof ribs or lugs to bear against the under surface of the shoe betweenthe heel and toe,and serve as a fulcrum about which said platemay bemoved to a limited extent,pand also with a pressure pad or projectionextending upward from the heel portion of said plate and between theheel portions of the shoe, so as to bear against and press upon the frogof the foot, or upon a sponge or other soft porous material interposedbetween it and the frog, which should be kept moist.

Figure l of the drawings is a front elevation of a horses foot with myimproved hoofexpander applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section online x w on Fig. 1. Fig.3 is an inverted plan. Fig. 4 is a transversesection on line y y on Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a plan of theexpander-plate removed from the foot, and Fig.- 6 is a section of thesame on line z z on Fig. 5.

A is the hoof; B, the shoe, secured thereto in the ordinary` way and, Cthe frog.

D is a metalplate ofthe form shown inFig. 5, and provided' with the eara, the raised lugs or ribs b b and c c, and the upwardly-projectingfrog-presser d, and having secured to opposite sides thereof two leatherstraps, `E E, those portions of which that are attached to or are nearthe plate D being re-enforced and protected by the sheet-metalguard-plates e e, said straps and plates being secured to the plate D bythe rivets ff, as shown in Figs. 4. and 5.

(No model.)

In applying my invention the ear c is inserted between the forward partof the shoe B and the hoof A, with the plate D in such a position thatthe frog-presser d shall'lie directl y beneath the frog and between theheel portions of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 4. The space between theplate D and presser cl and the frog and hoof is lled with a wet sponge,F, and the plate is secured in the desired position, with the lugs orribs b b and c c removed from contact with the under side of the shoe,by the straps E E, buckled together in front of the hoof, as shown inFigs. l and 2.

When this device is properly applied to the horses foot his weight restsupon. the toecalk g and the rear or heel end ofthe plate D in such amanner that a pressure is applied to the frog, which, being softened bythe moisture in the sponge surrounding it, is tlattened, and as aconsequence is expanded laterally, and thus forces the rear portions ofthe sides of the hoof outward, which accelerates the circulation ofblood and promotes a healing growth, and prevents corns, contraction,hoof-bound, and all diseases of the feet.

When the lugs or ribs b b and c c come in contact with the under surfaceof the shoe B and bear fairly thereon before sufficient pressure hasbeen applied to the frog the plate may be removed and a larger piece ofsponge placed between it and the frog; or a piece of felt, G, may beriveted to the pressure-pad, d, as shown in Fig. 6, when the plate isagain applied, and lthe frog Willcontinue to be pressed until the weightot' the horse has brought the shoe down upon the ribs b b and c c again.

By making that portion of the plateD which is forward of the lugs orribs b b ot a width not greater than the width between the inner edgesof that part of the shoe B the plate D may be applied to shoes ofdifferent thicknesses, and work equally Well upon all.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnitedStates, is

1. In a horse-hoof expander, the plate D, provided with the lip or eara, the ribs or lugs b b and c c, and the raised or elevated pressure-padd, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for thepurposes described.

2. The plate D, provided with the ear a, the Executed at' Boston,Massachusetts, this ribs b b and c 0, the raised or elevated frog- 25thday of March, 1882.

presser d, and means for securing its heel end to the horses foot, andhaving; that portion GEORGE W VVEMPLE' 5 forward of the ribs b b made ofa width to iit Witnesses:

between the inner edges of that part of the E. A. HEMMENWAY,

shoe, substantially as described. WALTER E. LOMBARD.

